ColorsByLaurie

Hi, I'm Laurie... I am privileged to have been married for forty years to a wonderful man named Gary. I'm Sarah and April's mom, mom-in-law to two wonderful men, and grandma to eight precious kids. I love them all like there's no tomorrow. I've been a cancer survivor for over two decades, and I cared for my husband for nine years as he suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Gary is in Heaven now, and I am still painting. One bliss, for me, is getting lost in my latest Watercolor painting and blogging about Art, Family, Alzheimer's and the Lessons I'm learning. My life is full of joys and difficulties, all different colors painted in my life for my good, by my Creator, whom I love and desire to serve above all else. " I have been young, and now I am old(er)" so perhaps my Colorful World can be of some very practical encouragement to you as your own life unfolds. Let me introduce myself in this 2 minute video: https://vimeo.com/120989825 (copy and paste into your browser)
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For the longer version...

30+ years ago Gary and I created a stained glass window for our kitchen. It was a very fun project that led to a cottage industry, designing and crafting custom stained glass for 12 years. So much has happened since then. To quote Karen Carpenter, “We’d only just begun…” Several years ago, I’ve been able to get “artsy” again, with watercolor illustrations. I call them “Colors By Laurie.” I have been mulling over the idea that my life is colorful too, not unlike a stained glass window.

I have experienced the light and bright joys, as well as the “dark” events that everyone dreads. Being married to my husband has to have been one my greatest earthly joys. Partnering together in life made for some wonderful memories. The fun of watching a thunderstorm from our bedroom with our girls with the French doors wide open, “batting practice” at Lake Powell, the Murder Mystery Parties, transitioning our daughters into the hands of the men they said “Yes” to, of course all the grandkiddos, and the endless practical jokes and movie quotes. Our life together was peppered with hard times as well; a bout with stage 3 Breast Cancer, then 3 years later, my husband, Gary diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Dementia. Our marriage vows included "for better" and "for worse" and we walked through both.

This life on here on earth could be "monochromatic," but it’s NOT! I’m thankful for the variety of colors, darks, lights, textures, mass, shapes, and lines. I’m not meaning to sound like an art class, but it’s true! Look around. Our world is FULL of visual variety. That’s what makes it interesting, from the clear, aqua waters of Florida, to the vivid orange sunsets over the rugged, massive Rocky Mts. Why did God make the world that way? Artist’s prerogative. He does whatever He pleases, and it pleased Him to make the world beautiful, and then, give us minds that appreciate it!

Look too long at any element of a piece of art, without stepping back to see the whole, and you’ll not see the story the artist intends. God made the universe very quickly, but we are in process. One day, we will become completely as He intended. Gary's already in heaven and has his renewed mind and able to comprehend his Creator perfectly. At the perfect time, I will join him. I will no longer be distracted by the ups and downs of life, and completely joyful and at peace forever. For this reason, I refuse to give in to self-pity or sorrow. I don’t deny that emotions are very real, but there are far reaching benefits to the dark times and I choose to glean what I can from them.

If a stained glass window is all one color, it can be a nice geometric design, and that’s great, but it won’t tell a story. It needs shapes that mean something to the viewer, line so the eye can cruise around the entire composition, texture for interest, and those dark areas of contrast that make the colors stand out beautifully. People are creative, because they are created in the image of God and He is creating a beautiful thing in the lives of His people.